Nostalgia & History > Favorite Diesel - Locomotive

What is your favorite locomotive - diesel, steam or electric?  No wrong answers just creating conversation:

Mine are:

EMD - SD45-2's especially EL's.  Looked and sounded great even in later Conrail paint.
GE - U36C's especially EL's and the first 5 or so ATSF units in pinstripe blue.
Alco - D&H C628's and PC's C636's.  The D&H units looked "elegant" and the PC units just stood out.
Electric - PRR's E44's.  Great locomotives that looked great.
Steam - DL&W's 4-6-4's.  DL&W's last steam and just sharp locomotives.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/17 05:20 by NYSWSD70M.

So many to choose from...

Old EMD - SD40-2 or SD45 (esp. Milwaukee or Santa Fe)
New EMD - SD70ACe or SD70ACe-T4
Old GE - U36C/SF30C or DASH 8-40B
New GE - AC6000CW/ET44C4/ET44AC for looks, ES44AC for sound! (In UK - GE class 70)
Electric - EF-4 'Little Joe'
Steam - Bulgarian 2-12-4T class 46....sorry, kind of cheating...



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/17 12:49 by exhaustED.

My favorite locomotives:
EMC/EMD:
CB&Q #9908 Silver Charger
RI #750 & #751
EA, E1, E3, E5, E6, E7, E8, & E9
FT, F3, F7, FP7, F9, & FL9
BL2
GP7, GP9, GP38, GP40
SD7, SD9, SD40 & -2s, SD45 (especially SOU running long hood forward),
SD50, SD60, SD70, SD70ACe, SD70ACe-T4
SW1, NW2, SW9, & SW1500
ALCO:
RS2 & RS3 especially the five hammerheads
RSD4 & RSD5
STEAM:
4-8-2, J & Greenbrier 4-8-4, Allegheny 2-6-6-6, A 2-6-6-4, Yellowstone 2-8-8-4, Y6 2-8-8-2
ELECTRIC:
GG1 & “Little Joe”
ALLEN

Sfe f-45 pin stripe scheme on Super C at speed

Since there are no wrong answers, but so much to choose from, here are a few of mine. No particular reason other than at this minute with only a little thought and "just because" .... tomorrow may yield different results.

Diesel

M&St.L F's with the green / yellow scheme - I think they looked real sharp
EL SD45's - all versions especially the BiCentennials. Again, I like the looks !
ROCK U30C's - A real "in your face machine"
FM Train Master's in the original demo scheme. Love that scheme on the big burly Fairbanks.
ATSF FT's in the original scheme
UP 6900's - Always loved going to Cheyenne and seeing them.
PC U33C's - they just looked so damn big and business like.
I will also add the distinctive KM ML-4000's - especially the original version used on SP and DRGW.

Electrics

MILW BiPolars - especially in the original scheme
Deutsch Bahn 103 Class - just an iconic machine
FCM Electric Box Cabs
MILW steeple cab electrics

Steam

NYO&W light 4-8-2's
SAR 25NC's
Donna Christina Railway 2-6-6-2's
DB Class 52 2-10-0's
ATSF Mikes and 2900's
DT&I's Mikes
PRR J1's
Frisco 4300's (4-8-2's) but not so much the tenders
NYC Mohawks



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/17 13:13 by train1275.

Any Alco C420, but especially those from the Lehigh & Hudson River. (Richard Forest photo)

---

RSD15
- AlcoRSD15

Overall the RS3.  Humble, better looking than its competitors, and my home road D&H had a bunch of them.  They sounded great in pusher service.

The PA.  Probably not a surprise, since I'm a D&H fan, but I have to aadmit the ATSF paint scheme was better.
C628s were fun to look at and liesten to, but my friends in the operating department really, really hated them.

The BL2 butter dish design always appealed to me.

Modern stuff?  I think the SD50s and wide cab SD60s looked clean and impressive, especially in  CR blue.  The first few UP SD70s were in the same vein, although the big flag decals didn't help the looks any.

Modern passenger power?  Those California Amtrak things, forget the model number.

And for sheer, timeless elegance:  The GG-1, hands down.

Hmm, I just notice that no GEs made the list.

march_hare Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Overall the RS3.  Humble, better looking than its
> competitors, and my home road D&H had a bunch of
> them.  They sounded great in pusher service.
>
> The PA.  Probably not a surprise, since I'm a D&H
> fan, but I have to aadmit the ATSF paint scheme
> was better.
> C628s were fun to look at and liesten to, but my
> friends in the operating department really, really
> hated them.
>
> The BL2 butter dish design always appealed to me.

>
> Modern stuff?  I think the SD50s and wide cab
> SD60s looked clean and impressive, especially in 
> CR blue.  The first few UP SD70s were in the same
> vein, although the big flag decals didn't help the
> looks any.
>
> Modern passenger power?  Those California Amtrak
> things, forget the model number.
>
> And for sheer, timeless elegance:  The GG-1,
> hands down.
>
> Hmm, I just notice that no GEs made the list.

The GG-1 was a GE.

U25C, FA1/2, GP7, Alco S2/4.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/17 19:24 by CPR_4000.

Hmmm, I would have to say any steam locomotive and my favorite diesels had 567's and 244's in them.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

nice list choice
EMD EL SDP45(2nd order with plows)
NYSW SD45 & F45
GE CR C36-7 and MP C36-7
ALCO NYSW C430

In todays world
NYSW SD60
NS SD70m flare UP works too

Southern Pacific SD45!! The flared radiator makes them stand out from all the others. They look really good from any angle, but particularly from the rear.

Kent in CArmel Valley

My ton ten diesels in no particular order:

EL SDP45
US Steel roads SD38-2
UP SD70M with phase 1 cab and flared radiators.
E8-E9
E3-E6
ATSF FP45 in warbonnet colors
SW1
C&O TR3
SD40-2
WC SD45

The RS-1 because it was the first locomotive I ever operated. (I was about 10 at the time.) But I like the SAL SDP35s.

ICG / IC SD20: those engines really talked when they were lugging with their 645 power assemblies in a 567 block and 4 stack liberated exhausts

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

From a modern operations standpoint, the SD40-2 has no equal in my book. It is by far my favorite to run, and she ain't half bad on the eyes either.

From a railfan POV?

1. DDA40X
2. F45/FP45/SDP40F
3. SD26
4. CF7 (yes, really)

From a railroader POV?

1. SD70MAC
2. SD40-2
3. SW1500/MP15
4. GP40-2

GE's: SF U30CG; Amtrak P30CH
EMD's: SF FT (cat whisker); Missouri Pacific Lines F7
Alco: NYC lightning stripe PA1
F-M: SP Black Widow Trainmaster
Electric: DB Class 120
Steam: Northern Pacific A4 4-8-4

Posted from iPhone

Virginia & Truckee #22, Inyo
CNJ 4-6-0 Camelback
SP 4-6-2 2472
Canadian National Railways "Confederation" 4-8-4
SP Cab-Forward 4294
Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Yellowstone

PRR GG1 4935
Milwaukee Road Bi-Polar

Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range SD9
D & RGW SD40T-2
GN SD45 400 Hustle Muscle
NS 1070 Wabash Heritage
UP 1983 Western Pacific Heritage
Amtrak SDP40F

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/17 21:21 by RuleG.